US President Donald Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, its parent company Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, and two reporters on July 19, 2025.
Plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida, accusing the defendants of maliciously publishing a story about a birthday letter that Donald Trump allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The complaint asserts that the letter contained a sexually suggestive hand-drawn outline of a naked woman and referenced “secrets” shared between Trump and Epstein.
Trump denied the allegations and threatened legal action just one day earlier. On Truth Social, he posted: “I look forward to having Rupert Murdoch testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the Wall Street Journal. That will be an interesting experience!”
President Trump filed a lawsuit against the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, alleging the newspaper defamed him in an article about a birthday letter sent to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein https://t.co/DA4RcERtH6
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 19, 2025The Journal’s article detailed a leather-bound birthday book for Epstein containing messages from high-profile figures, including Trump’s. It concluded with: “Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret,” signed “Donald.” Trump claims the publication caused overwhelming financial and reputational harm.
Epstein, a disgraced financier and sex offender, died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial. Trump, photographed with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, stated in 2019 he ended their relationship 15 years prior: “I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.” In a 2002 quote from New York magazine, Trump called Epstein a “terrific guy” who liked “beautiful women… on the younger side.”
President Trump files libel lawsuit over Wall Street Journal report on Jeffrey Epstein's birthday letters. https://t.co/KdC0okHzop
— CNN (@CNN) July 18, 2025The lawsuit coincides with the Justice Department’s motion to unseal grand jury transcripts related to the cases of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that “public officials, lawmakers, pundits, and ordinary citizens remain deeply interested and concerned about the Epstein matter.” He referred to Epstein as “the most infamous pedophile in American history” and emphasised that the transcripts represent “critical pieces of an important moment in our nation’s history.” Prosecutors intend to redact any identifying information about the victims.
Read: FBI Debunks Epstein Client List, Confirms Suicide in 2025 Report
Grand jury transcripts are usually kept confidential; however, courts may disclose them during judicial proceedings or when parties seek to dismiss indictments. Furthermore, these transcripts may contain hearsay and improperly obtained evidence, both of which are not admissible at trial. Meanwhile, Dow Jones, News Corp, and Murdoch did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nonetheless, their statements may provide further context once available.
